1 posts from June 18, 2013

June 18, 2013

Unable to sign him and unwilling to let him walk away as a free agent, the Panthers traded prospect Corban Knight to Calgary on Tuesday for a fourth round pick in the June 30 draft.

Knight, a fifth round pick in 2009, was quoted in Sunday's Edmonton Journal that he and his agent had spoken to the Panthers but "it turned out it wasn’t going to work out for both parties.''

Knight said he told the Panthers he wasn't going to sign by the August deadline, so Florida dealt him to his hometown Flames.

"When Florida did not sign Corban this spring we contacted them and asked for permission to speak with him,'' Calgary general manager Jay Feaster said in a statement.

"Florida granted teams, including ours, that opportunity on the condition that we were prepared to trade for his rights. During the past ten days we spoke with Corban and his agent, and were pleased to learn Corban wanted to start his pro career in Calgary.''

Knight, 22, scored 16 goals in each of his junior and senior seasons at North Dakota. As he completed four college years, Knight would be a free agent following his senior year -- something the Panthers avoided with blue-chip prospect Nick Bjugstad.

Florida signed Bjugstad and allowed him to play at the NHL level for the final weeks of the 2013 season instead of possibly losing him in 2014.

Knight signed a two-year deal with the Flames not long after the trade was announced.